Think of your skin barrier as a shield. It protects everything beneath its surface from things like pollution and bacteria, but there are actually a ton of things we engage in every day that have potential to weaken it. That includes showering and washing your face with water that’s too warm, over-exfoliating, or generally using harsh ingredients. A damaged skin barrier looks different on everyone, but it often manifests as dryness, flaking, and overall feelings of sensitivity and irritation. If you suspect that your skin barrier has been a bit stressed as of late, the good news is that there are plenty of solutions available, one of them being fermented black rice.
As a skincare ingredient, fermented black rice has been on the up and up in recent years, and while it’s become known for its antioxidant and barrier-supporting properties, it’s sometimes confused with rice water. To be clear, these ingredients aren’t the same thing, and if you’re in need of a refresher on what separates them, read ahead.
What Is Rice Water?
Rice water is the liquid you’re left with after you’ve soaked, washed, or even boiled any type of rice. Rice is a starchy food, but it’s also a decent source of protein, iron, vitamin E, and B vitamins like folate, so any time an uncooked grain gets wet, those starches and nutrients release into the water it’s washed or cooked in, turning it a cloudy white color. For centuries, said starchy water has been a staple in the beauty rituals of many people living in East Asian countries because of its natural hair strengthening properties and its ability to reduce and prevent frizz. In recent years, social media has also popularized the use of rice water as a beauty treatment, and you can even find it listed as a hero ingredient in a multitude of hair products that are currently on the market. But while rice water is more widely viewed as a treatment for healthy hair growth, that’s not all it’s good for. It can also be incorporated into your skincare routine.
Remember the vitamin E that I mentioned earlier? Well, that’s an antioxidant that can keep your skin safe from damage caused by pollution and environmental factors, but it’s also deeply moisturizing and is known for supporting the skin barrier.
What Is Fermented Black Rice?
On the flip side, black rice is a type of rice that’s primarily grown in Asia. (It's nicknamed “forbidden rice” because in ancient China, it was only made available to royalty while everyone else was barred from eating it.) This rice is a lot more nutrient-dense than brown and white rice, and it also has a higher concentration of fiber and proteins. Most importantly, it’s very rich in antioxidants (more on that below), which, again, can protect the skin from environmental stressors, reduce and fade dark spots, and brighten a dull complexion.
That said, black rice can also be put through the process of fermentation, which involves introducing a microorganism like yeast or bacteria to an ingredient so that it releases enzymes that break said ingredient down and eventually transform it into something new. This process can decrease the molecule size of certain ingredients, too. For example, black rice contains ferulic acid, and when it’s mixed with bacteria and fermented, it’s broken down into smaller molecules that are able to better penetrate the skin when applied topically.
What Are the Antioxidant Benefits of Fermented Black Rice?
Glad you asked. Among the antioxidants that black rice is rich in, anthocyanin is one of them. This is the pigment that gives the grain its purplish-black color, and it’s also found in other foods like blueberries, blackberries, black currants, red onions, and purple cauliflower. When black rice is fermented, the process can increase the bioavailability of anthocyanin, which is useful as a skincare ingredient because it prevents cellular damage and keeps the collagen and elastin in your skin from breaking down and degrading itself too quickly. In other words, it can give the skin some extra bounce while preventing premature aging.
Black rice also contains carotenoids, which can provide photoprotection and reduce the harmful effects of ultraviolet (UV) rays on the skin while calming irritation and redness.
So What Makes Fermented Skincare So Great, Anyway?
As previously mentioned, fermentation can break down the molecules of a product and make them smaller, which can increase their efficacy since it’s easier for them to penetrate the skin. Fermentation can also increase an ingredient's supply of probiotics, which are great for improving gut health when ingested, but they can also balance the skin’s microbiome (this is the combination of all the bacteria and microorganisms that live on your skin) when included in skincare formulas. In the long run, this can reduce inflammation and dryness, fight acne, strengthen your skin barrier, and decrease signs of aging by boosting collagen production.
How to Include Fermented Black Rice In Your Skincare Routine
If fermented black rice is a skincare ingredient you’re mostly unfamiliar with, the good news is that Haruharu Wonder has a full lineup of black rice products that are designed to moisturize the skin and provide barrier support. Our Black Rice Probiotics Barrier Essence is a great introductory product if you need a place to start. It’s an ultra-light, milky formula featuring panthenol and ceramides that moisturize without leaving a sticky film on the skin, while fatty acids help even out skin tone. During a two-week clinical study conducted by 20 testers aged 20 to 40, 33.69 percent of the group saw an overall increase in hydration while 21 percent reported improved barrier function.
The Black Rice Probiotics Barrier Essence is compatible with most skin types. For best results, apply it as a follow up product after using the Black Rice Hyaluronic Toner. If you wear complexion products like foundation, you can also mix a few drops into the formula to prevent your makeup from appearing cakey or dry.
The Bottom Line
Again, barrier damage and premature aging can look different on everyone, but if you suspect that your skin is over-worked, getting your hands on something that uses a fermented ingredient like black rice is a great place to start.
The Key Difference Between Rice Water and Fermented Black Rice
Think of your skin barrier as a shield. It protects everything beneath its surface from things like pollution and bacteria, but there are actually a ton of things we engage in every day that have potential to weaken it. That includes showering and washing your face with water that’s too warm, over-exfoliating, or generally using harsh ingredients. A damaged skin barrier looks different on everyone, but it often manifests as dryness, flaking, and overall feelings of sensitivity and irritation. If you suspect that your skin barrier has been a bit stressed as of late, the good news is that there are plenty of solutions available, one of them being fermented black rice.
As a skincare ingredient, fermented black rice has been on the up and up in recent years, and while it’s become known for its antioxidant and barrier-supporting properties, it’s sometimes confused with rice water. To be clear, these ingredients aren’t the same thing, and if you’re in need of a refresher on what separates them, read ahead.
What Is Rice Water?
Rice water is the liquid you’re left with after you’ve soaked, washed, or even boiled any type of rice. Rice is a starchy food, but it’s also a decent source of protein, iron, vitamin E, and B vitamins like folate, so any time an uncooked grain gets wet, those starches and nutrients release into the water it’s washed or cooked in, turning it a cloudy white color. For centuries, said starchy water has been a staple in the beauty rituals of many people living in East Asian countries because of its natural hair strengthening properties and its ability to reduce and prevent frizz. In recent years, social media has also popularized the use of rice water as a beauty treatment, and you can even find it listed as a hero ingredient in a multitude of hair products that are currently on the market. But while rice water is more widely viewed as a treatment for healthy hair growth, that’s not all it’s good for. It can also be incorporated into your skincare routine.
Remember the vitamin E that I mentioned earlier? Well, that’s an antioxidant that can keep your skin safe from damage caused by pollution and environmental factors, but it’s also deeply moisturizing and is known for supporting the skin barrier.
What Is Fermented Black Rice?
On the flip side, black rice is a type of rice that’s primarily grown in Asia. (It's nicknamed “forbidden rice” because in ancient China, it was only made available to royalty while everyone else was barred from eating it.) This rice is a lot more nutrient-dense than brown and white rice, and it also has a higher concentration of fiber and proteins. Most importantly, it’s very rich in antioxidants (more on that below), which, again, can protect the skin from environmental stressors, reduce and fade dark spots, and brighten a dull complexion.
That said, black rice can also be put through the process of fermentation, which involves introducing a microorganism like yeast or bacteria to an ingredient so that it releases enzymes that break said ingredient down and eventually transform it into something new. This process can decrease the molecule size of certain ingredients, too. For example, black rice contains ferulic acid, and when it’s mixed with bacteria and fermented, it’s broken down into smaller molecules that are able to better penetrate the skin when applied topically.
What Are the Antioxidant Benefits of Fermented Black Rice?
Glad you asked. Among the antioxidants that black rice is rich in, anthocyanin is one of them. This is the pigment that gives the grain its purplish-black color, and it’s also found in other foods like blueberries, blackberries, black currants, red onions, and purple cauliflower. When black rice is fermented, the process can increase the bioavailability of anthocyanin, which is useful as a skincare ingredient because it prevents cellular damage and keeps the collagen and elastin in your skin from breaking down and degrading itself too quickly. In other words, it can give the skin some extra bounce while preventing premature aging.
Black rice also contains carotenoids, which can provide photoprotection and reduce the harmful effects of ultraviolet (UV) rays on the skin while calming irritation and redness.
So What Makes Fermented Skincare So Great, Anyway?
As previously mentioned, fermentation can break down the molecules of a product and make them smaller, which can increase their efficacy since it’s easier for them to penetrate the skin. Fermentation can also increase an ingredient's supply of probiotics, which are great for improving gut health when ingested, but they can also balance the skin’s microbiome (this is the combination of all the bacteria and microorganisms that live on your skin) when included in skincare formulas. In the long run, this can reduce inflammation and dryness, fight acne, strengthen your skin barrier, and decrease signs of aging by boosting collagen production.
How to Include Fermented Black Rice In Your Skincare Routine
If fermented black rice is a skincare ingredient you’re mostly unfamiliar with, the good news is that Haruharu Wonder has a full lineup of black rice products that are designed to moisturize the skin and provide barrier support. Our Black Rice Probiotics Barrier Essence is a great introductory product if you need a place to start. It’s an ultra-light, milky formula featuring panthenol and ceramides that moisturize without leaving a sticky film on the skin, while fatty acids help even out skin tone. During a two-week clinical study conducted by 20 testers aged 20 to 40, 33.69 percent of the group saw an overall increase in hydration while 21 percent reported improved barrier function.
The Black Rice Probiotics Barrier Essence is compatible with most skin types. For best results, apply it as a follow up product after using the Black Rice Hyaluronic Toner. If you wear complexion products like foundation, you can also mix a few drops into the formula to prevent your makeup from appearing cakey or dry.
The Bottom Line
Again, barrier damage and premature aging can look different on everyone, but if you suspect that your skin is over-worked, getting your hands on something that uses a fermented ingredient like black rice is a great place to start.